Food package and method for transfer of food

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a bottom part intended to receive food thereon, and a container part where the said bottom part and the container part are intended to enclose the said food. The package is provided with means to hold the bottom part and the container part together in a detachable fashion and means to separate the said bottom part from the container part fully or partially. Separating takes the form of removing the said bottom part with the bottom part of the package standing in an essentially horizontal position on a serving surface so that the food is so arranged as to come into contact with the serving surface, as a consequence of which the said container part is essentially retained in its position enclosing the said food. The invention also relates to a method for transferring food from a package to a serving surface.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a package comprising a bottom partintended to receive food thereon, and a container part where the saidbottom part and the container part are intended to enclose the saidfood.

There is an increasingly large demand for meals that are simple toprepare and for which the preparation time is short. Sales ofconvenience foods in particular are increasing, which is sold indisposable packs and is either eaten directly or requires only to beheated before it is ready to be consumed.

PRIOR ART

Previously disclosed disposable packs for convenience food usuallyconsist of a tray manufactured from cardboard, metal or a plasticmaterial with a thin, transparent plastic film which serves as a lid.The majority of packs are manufactured with the intention that the foodwill be heated before it is consumed. A plurality of different methodsof heating is available, although the most common is for the food to beheated in a microwave oven, in a conventional oven or by placing thepackage in hot water. The lid of the package is removed either before orafter heating. The meal can then be eaten directly from the pack. Thechoice of materials can mean that the packs become moist during heatingand that the packs are instable and limp and are accordingly notparticularly suitable to eat from. The presentation of the meal is alsonot to a particularly high standard, because both paper and plasticplates impart a cheap feeling that cannot be compared to that of platesmade of porcelain or other solid materials.

An alternative to eating directly from the package is to transfer theprepared meal manually to a plate. However, a method of this kind leadswithout exception to the contents of the package becoming mixed togetherin an undesired fashion, as a consequence of which the presentation ofthe meal is not as intended.

A common solution for keeping the various components of a meal apart isto subdivide the package into different sections with dividing walls.The disadvantage of this solution is, among other things, that the edgesof the sections make it difficult to eat directly from the tray. Thepresentation of the meal is also impaired in this case by the fact thatthe packs are manufactured from a disposable material. Transferring theprepared meal to a plate without mixing the constituent parts is easierthan in the case of an ordinary package that is not divided intosections, although this still calls for time-consuming work input and animpaired result. The presentation of the meal by this method dependsentirely on the person who transfers the meal to the plate.

Other previously disclosed packs include the package described inWO-A1-2004/045970, which is subdivided into sections and provided withvalves in order to ensure that the foods in the various sections are notsubjected to high heat at different levels.

Previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,086 is a package subdividedinto sections where the pack, after heating, must be inverted, wherebythe lid must act as a plate.

Described in EP-A1-0,760,341 is a package intended to hold the fooduntil the time of its consumption, which comprises a container and aclosure. After the food has been heated, the package is inverted and ispositioned on a plate. The user then pulls out the sides of the pack,whereby the seal breaks and the contents of the container aretransferred to the plate.

None of the aforementioned documents relates to a package from whichfood can be transferred in a simple and smooth manner to a plate or someother storage place for the food, without spoiling the presentation ofthe food after it reaches the plate, or without spending a lot of timeand effort in order to achieve an aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

The need accordingly exists for a package which solves, among otherthings, the above-mentioned problems in a simple and effective manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned object is achieved by means of a package according tothe present invention, which is characterized essentially in that thepackage is provided with means for holding the bottom part and thecontainer part together in a detachable manner, and with means forentirely or partially separating the said bottom part from the saidcontainer part by removing part or all of the said bottom part, with thebottom part of the package standing on a serving surface so that thefood comes into contact with the serving surface, whereby theaforementioned container part is essentially retained in its positionenclosing the said food. The bottom part can thus be removed from thesaid container part, whereby the food comes into contact with theserving surface without the said container part having to be removed.

The invention also relates to a method for transferring food from apack, comprising a bottom part and a container part, to a storage place,which is characterized in that it includes the steps of: placing thepackage on top of the said storage or serving surface, and removing thesaid bottom part fully or partially from the said container part,whereby the food comes into contact with the serving surface without thesaid container part having to be removed.

Preferred or advantageous embodiments are set forth in thecharacterizing parts of the associated subordinate Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention is described below in a non-restrictive fashion withreference to a number of preferred illustrative embodiments, wherebyreference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows cross-sectional views of the packaging of food and itstransfer from the package to the plate,

FIG. 2 shows cross-sectional views of the heating of food in a packageand its transfer from the package to the plate,

FIG. 3 shows cross-sectional views of the transfer from the package tothe plate followed by heating of the food with the bottom part of thepackage removed,

FIG. 4 shows how a container part is separated from a rigid bottom partaccording to a preferred embodiment,

FIG. 5 shows a possible embodiment of a flexible bottom part,

FIG. 6 shows how a flexible bottom part according to FIG. 5 can beremoved from a container part,

FIG. 7 shows cross-sectional views of the transfer from a packagesubdivided into compartments to a plate,

FIG. 8 shows schematic representations of packages subdivided intocompartments,

FIG. 9 shows how a number of different subsidiary packages according tothe invention can be set up next to one another and their contents arethen transferred to a plate,

FIG. 10 shows different schematic alternative arrangements of subsidiarypacks,

FIG. 11 shows examples of how different subsidiary packages can bearranged over and above the intended combinations,

FIG. 12 shows a package of food situated at separate levels and itstransfer from the package to the plate,

FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of a package according to FIG. 12,

FIG. 14 shows an exploded view of an alternative package according toFIG. 12,

FIG. 15 shows different alternative polygonal embodiments of packages,

FIG. 16 shows an alternative embodiment of a package in which the bottompart remains attached to the container part after the food has beentransferred to a serving surface,

FIG. 17 shows an alternative embodiment of a package subdivided intocompartments with a bottom part consisting of a number of flexibleparts, one for each compartment,

FIG. 18 shows an alternative embodiment of a package with a bottom partconsisting of two flexible parts for the same compartment,

FIG. 19 shows a package, in which the bottom part and the container partof the package are rotatable in relation to one another,

FIG. 20 shows a reusable package, and

FIG. 21, finally, shows a package in which the bottom part of thepackage is so arranged as to melt during heating.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A more detailed description of the respective Figures follows below.

FIG. 1 shows, as the subsidiary steps 1 a-1 f, different stages throughwhich the food 1 according to the invention passes. The food 1 ispackaged according to FIGS. 1a-1b in a container 2 joined together witha removable bottom 4. A lid 3 according to FIG. 1c is then applied sothat these components 2-4 together form the package 5, which containsthe said food. The package is then transferred to a serving surface 8,which can be a plate or some other suitable serving surface, forexample, according to 1 d. The food can then be presented on thisserving surface before it is consumed by removing the bottom 4 of thepackage 5. The bottom 4 is removed by taking hold of a gripping device 6attached to the bottom 4 and by then pulling the said bottom 4 away 7sideways according to FIG. 1e , so that the food is placed on theserving surface 8. After removal of the bottom 4, the container 2 withits lid 3 can be lifted vertically from the serving surface 8 accordingto FIG. 1f without affecting the presentation of the said food. When thefood is transferred from the package 5 to the separate serving surface8, the food is not moved vertically or horizontally to any significantextent, which means that the food can be presented on a serving surface8 precisely in the manner intended for the packaged food.

The bottom part of the package is thus preferably intended to serve as areceptacle for the food situated on it at the time of packaging anduntil the time at which the food will be heated or consumed. By removingthe bottom part fully or partially, the food will come into contact withthe serving surface without the container part having to be removed. Atthe time of removal, the bottom part of the package is in a positionessentially parallel to a serving surface. The bottom part is thenpreferably in a horizontal position and is arranged against a servingsurface, which is preferably also arranged in a horizontal position. Thepackage preferably rests on the serving surface throughout the entireprocedure of removing the bottom part. A force is applied with advantageto the container part in a direction opposite to the direction in whichthe bottom part is pulled away 7 in order to prevent movements in thelateral sense or the vertical sense of a kind which could detract fromthe aesthetically pleasing arrangement of the food. Gripping devices 6can also be arranged on the container part 2 in order to facilitateseparation of the bottom part. The container part thus does notessentially need to be moved from its position in order to bring aboutthe transfer of the food to the serving surface. A certain lateralmovement can be performed, however, and in particular if the servingsurface is fully or essentially plane and does not exhibit any edges, itis also conceivable for the container part to be capable of beingdisplaced in the lateral sense. The bottom part and the container partmust be displaced relative to one another, however. The container partis preferably manufactured from cardboard, metal or a plastic material.

FIG. 2 shows, as the subsidiary steps 2 a-2 d, a method according to theinvention for the purpose, after heating food 1 in an oven 9 or thelike, contained in the package 5, of transferring the said food to aplate or some other suitable serving surface 8. The food can then bepresented on this plate or other serving surface 8 before it is consumedby placing the package with the food according to FIG. 2b on top of theserving surface 8, after which the bottom 4 of the package is removedaccording to FIG. 2c , so that the said food is placed on the plate 8without the food being moved vertically or horizontally to anysignificant extent, and so that the container 2 with its lid 3 can belifted vertically from the plate 8 according to FIG. 2d without thepresentation of the said food being impaired. The advantages of thismethod are, among other things, that the bottom part 4 does not need tobe folded and can be of rigid execution as a result, and that the foodis hot after heating and accordingly exhibits low friction at rest, andas such slides easily from its base 4 and the container 2. The packagein this embodiment may preferably be provided with one or more valves inorder to avoid overpressure inside the package during heating. Thecontainer part 2 and the lid 3 are manufactured as a single piece inthis embodiment, although it is naturally also possible to make these intwo separate pieces. The lid can also be manufactured from a differentmaterial, for example a thin plastic film, which affords the possibilityof observing the presentation of the food before use. The lid can alsobe embodied so that the lid can be removed.

FIG. 3 shows, as the subsidiary steps 3 a-3 d, a method according to theinvention for the purpose, before heating food 1 contained in thepackage 5, of transferring the said food to a plate or some othersuitable serving surface 8. The food can then be presented on thisserving surface before it is consumed by placing the package with thefood according to FIG. 3a on top of the serving surface, after which thebottom 4 of the package is removed according to FIG. 3b , so that thesaid food is placed on the serving service without the food being movedvertically or horizontally. The food is then heated in an appropriatefashion, for example in an oven 9 according to FIG. 3c and is removedfrom the said oven, after which the container with its lid can be liftedvertically from the plate 8 according to FIG. 3d without thepresentation of the said food being impaired in any way. Thecircumstance can naturally arise in which those parts of the food thathave been in contact with the inside of the container 2 will bedistributed over the serving surface as the container is removed. Thereis no need to provide the package with valves in this embodiment,because no overpressure is generated. The bottom part can be madeflexible, on the other hand, to facilitate its removal, or it may have asurface with low friction, for example Teflon.

FIG. 4 shows an example of how a container part 2 can be connected in asealing fashion to a removable bottom part 4. A strip-shaped orstring-shaped device with an arbitrary cross section, for example a cord11 that is laid in the form of a loop, provides an effective closure,and a seal 10 for the cord 11 is also provided in order to seal the cord11. Pulling 13 on the cord 11 causes the bottom 4 to be loosened fromthe container part 2, whereby it is easy to remove 7 the bottom part 4sideways from the rest of the package. A loop 12 or some other grippingdevice is preferably attached at one end of the cord. The aforementionedstrip-shaped device can have a cross section that is circular,rectangular, oval, etc., or can be a thin, flat strip or string. It neednot be the cord 11 that joins the container 2 and the bottom 4 together,but this may be provided, for example, by an attachment function on thecontainer part or by some form of adhesive, perforation or the like,which either accompanies the cord or remains in place on the containerpart 2 after the cord has been removed. Instead of a cord, it ispossible to use sugar, a sugar solution or some other edible substance,for example, which melts when it is heated, to attach the bottom 4 andthe container 2. This characteristic is particularly applicable when thebottom part must be removed after the food has been heated, for examplein an oven according to the embodiment described in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a package in which the bottom part 4 is provided by aflexible material, for example a thin plastic material. The bottom partin this embodiment is folded double with a tab 14 which extends alongthe entire bottom 4 of the package in order to enable the said bottompart to be removed in a simple and smooth manner before or after thepackage is heated. Accordingly, no additional seal between the containerpart and the bottom part is required in this embodiment, and these arepreferably held together with the help of an adhesive. FIG. 5b shows thepackage with the bottom part 4 facing upwards.

FIG. 6 shows, as the subsidiary steps 6 a-6 c, a package 5 in which thebottom part 4 is folded double in the same way as in FIG. 5, and how thecontainer part 2 with the associated tab 14 is removed sideways bypulling on the gripping device 6.

FIG. 7 shows a package 105 with different compartments 105A-C. Thedifferent compartments are separated by walls 2 ^(1,2), when pullingaway 7 the bottom 4 according to FIG. 7c , the foods 101B and 101C inthe different compartments are retained in the desired positions thanksto the separating walls 2 ^(1,2) of the container part. By subdividingthe package into containers in this way, different parts of the food1A-C can be placed in a desired location on a serving surface 8,according to FIGS. 7d-e . As illustrated in FIG. 17, each compartmentcan also be attached to a separate part of the bottom part, which onlyconstitutes the bottom of the specific compartment. In this way, a usercan choose only to transfer selected parts of the content of a packageonto a serving surface.

FIG. 8 shows different schematic variants of the subdivision of packages205 into compartments. The number of compartments 205A-C, separated bywalls 2 ^(1,2,3), is arbitrary and can vary from a single compartment inthe basic embodiment up to ten or more different compartments, ifdesired. Illustrated in

FIG. 8d , for example, is an embodiment with a cheese board, whichrequires a large number of compartments in order to achieve a desiredpresentation.

FIG. 9 shows how different subsidiary packages 305A-C can be handled andset up to form a common package 305 containing different dishes 1A-C,which together form a complete meal, and which are received on a commonserving surface 8. The bottom parts 4A-C of the schematic example ofsubsidiary packages 305A-C are pulled away sideways 7A-C according toFIG. 9b , for example in an oven 9, before, after or without heating.The upper parts 2A-C, 3A-C of the package 305 are then removed, afterwhich the meal can be presented with the contents 1A-C of the differentsubsidiary packages 305A-C in the desired location on the servingsurface 8 according to FIG. 9 d.

FIGS. 10a-10e show different schematic alternatives of the embodiment ofsubsidiary packs 305D-F that have been placed adjacent to one anotherand thereby form a common package 305 containing a complete meal. Inthis way, the user can choose for himself/herself the components of hismeal by combining different subsidiary packages with the desiredcontent.

FIG. 11 shows that it is also possible for the user to combine and,according to the method described in FIG. 9, to use a number ofsubsidiary packages 305A-B, which, when placed adjacent to one another,do not form a package 305 with a circular, oval, superelliptical orpolygonal outer edge.

FIGS. 12-14 show examples of foods 1A-B situated at separate levels. Forexample, a sauce 1B can be contained in an upper package 405B, whileother food 1A is contained in a lower package 405A. The differentsubsidiary packages 405A-B can be manufactured from different thermallyinsulating or heat-transmitting materials depending on the degree towhich it is wished for the contents of the various subsidiary packagesto be heated. A subsidiary package which contains a sauce that must becold, for example, may be manufactured from a thermally insulatingmaterial, for example, whereas a subsidiary package which contains foodthat must be heated is manufactured from a heat-transmitting material.

As can be appreciated from the various subordinate stages 12 a-12 e, theentire package 405 consisting of the subsidiary packages 405A-B isplaced on a common serving surface 8. Before or after the package andits contents are heated in an oven or similar 9, the lower bottom 4A isappropriately pulled away 7A, whereupon the contents of the lowerpackage 405A end up on the plate 8. Subsequently, the upper bottom part4B is pulled away so that hot or cold sauce 1B or some other form offood runs down or flows down over or next to the subjacent hot food 1Alocated on the plate 8. The pile of container parts 2A-B and theirassociated lids 3A-B is then removed. More levels than the two levelsillustrated here are naturally possible. These can be situated directlyabove one another or can be displaced laterally in relation one another.

The packages 405A-B can be manufactured as a single piece or can beformed with the help of two or more separate packages that can becombined together. If the package is manufactured in single piece, thesubsidiary packages are separated only by the bottom part 4B of theupper subsidiary package 405B. If it is formed with the help of twoseparate packages that have been combined, the bottom part 4B of theupper subsidiary package 405B must be adapted in respect of its size toa hole 15 in the subjacent upper part 3A′ according to FIG. 13a , whichis covered by a detachable upper part of the lower subsidiary package405A. In this embodiment, both the upper part of the lower subsidiarypackage 405A and the bottom part 4B of the upper subsidiary package 405Bmust be removed in order to cause the contents of the various subsidiarypackages to come into contact with one another. Either the upper part ofthe lower subsidiary package 405A is removed before the upper subsidiarypackage 405B is connected to the lower subsidiary package 405A, or theupper part and the bottom part are removed simultaneously.

In an alternative embodiment, one or more bottom parts 4 of subsidiarypackages can consist of an edible layer which melts when it is heatedup. The layer preferably melts once a desired level of heat has beenachieved in the subsidiary package or in an adjacent subsidiary package.For example, the layer may be constructed in such a way that it meltsprecisely when the contents of a subjacent subsidiary package have beenheated to such an extent that the content is cooked and ready to eat,and the contents of a superjacent package then drop down over thecontents of the subjacent subsidiary package. This can be achieved byselecting layers having a thickness and a material that are adapted forthe preparation time of the contents of the subjacent subsidiarypackage. If the bottom part that is so arranged as to rest on theserving surface 8 consists of a meltable layer, see also FIG. 21, thisshould be protected from the surroundings during the period of storageof the package by some form of protective layer, for example a plasticfilm or similar, in conjunction with the meltable layer, which can thenbe removed from the package before heating or transferring the food.This protective layer can with advantage also consist of or can besupplemented by a hard material, which also protects the meltable layerfrom impacts and the like. The meltable layer is preferably tastelessand edible, and is so arranged as to be dissolved in its entirety whenthe layer is heated. In this embodiment, the bottom part is heldtogether with the container part by the fact that the constitution ofthe bottom part causes the bottom part to be attached to the containerpart, or alternatively thanks to the presence of a removable device 11or an adhesive.

FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of the stacked package 405 described inFIG. 12. An upper part 3A′ of the subjacent container 405A exhibits anappropriate hole or an opening 15 in order to permit superjacent food 1Bto pass through the said hole 15 in conjunction with the removal of thebottom 4B of a superjacent package 405B. Gripping devices 6A-B are soarranged as to project for a short distance from the rest of the packagein order to be readily accessible. The gripping devices preferablyconsist of a tab of a convenient size for gripping. As an alternative,the gripping device can extend around the entire package or partsthereof. The gripping device can be embodied as a ring or a ball or canbe of some other appropriate construction.

FIG. 14 shows an exploded view of a package 505 in two planes consistingof subsidiary packages 505A-B, in which smaller internal containers 23²⁻³ in the subsidiary package 505B are received and secured between anouter container 2B and an inner wall 2B′. The function of this issimilar to that described in FIGS. 12-13. If the food in the uppersubsidiary package 505B consists of a liquid substance, the mechanism orthe means that opens the bottom part 4B of the upper subsidiary packagecan also be a zip fastener arrangement or similar.

FIG. 15 shows different alternative polygonal embodiments of the package605.

FIG. 16 shows, as the subsidiary steps 16 a-16 d, a method according tothe invention for the purpose, before, after, during or without heatingof the food 1 contained in the package 5, of transferring the said foodto a plate or some other appropriate serving surface 8, essentially inthe same way as in

FIGS. 1,2,3 and 6. The only difference is that the bottom part 4 is notremoved in its entirety from its attachment to the periphery of theunder side of the container part 2. The bottom part thus does notrequire to be separated in its entirety from the container, but only tosuch an extent that a desired quantity of the food comes into contactwith the subjacent serving surface. In this way, the whole package canbe disposed of in its entirety after the food has been transferred fromthe package to the serving surface. For example, that part of the bottompart 4 that is intended to remain on the container part 2, includingafter the package has been used, can be provided with stronger adhesiveor a larger quantity of adhesive in order to prevent removal of thewhole of the bottom part. It is also possible to envisage that the saidpart is securely glued or welded to the container part.

FIG. 17 shows a package in which the bottom part 4 consists of two ormore parts that are folded double. The subsidiary steps 17 a-17 e showhow a part 1B of the food 1 in the package 705 is transferred to aserving surface 8. The bottom part in this embodiment is folded doublein the same way as in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, with the differencethat the bottom part 4 consists of several different double-folded parts4A-B. On the under side of the package, the different parts can beattached to one another along a line or at a given point. The differentparts also need not be attached to one another on the under side, butcan instead be connected to, for example, the under side of a wall 2 ¹which divides the package into different compartments. However, theattachment or the connection preferably takes the form of perforationsalong the one or more lines where the part that is to be removed fromthe package is folded double, that is to say where it is transformedfrom being a part on which the food is stored into a tab 14 which neverneeds to come into contact with the food. If necessary, the saidconnection between the different parts of the bottom part, or betweenthe bottom part and the container part, can be in the form of a cord orsimilar, which must be removed before the parts can be separated. It isalso possible to design a package consisting of a number of compartmentsin such a way that the bottom parts of certain compartments aremanufactured from a flexible material, while the bottom parts of othercompartments are manufactured from a rigid material, a meltable materialor a rotatable and rigid material.

FIG. 18 shows a package 805 in which the bottom part 4 consists of twoor more flexible parts that are folded double. The subsidiary steps 18a-18 e show how the food 1 in the package is transferred to a servingsurface 8. A tab 14A or similar belonging to a part 4A of the bottompart 4 extends around the edges and the lid of the package in order toconverge on the upper side of the package with other tabs 14B belongingto other parts 4B of the bottom part 4, forming gripping devices 6A-B.The flaps 14A-B preferably meet at a centrally located point on theupper side of the package. For example, the tabs can sit securely in aloop in order to facilitate the pulling away of the bottom part. Theattachment between the different parts of the bottom part can, preciselyas in FIG. 17, be in the form of sections of perforations, removablestring-shaped or strip-shaped devices, some uniting edible substancewhich melts in conjunction with heating, or else the different parts canbe attached to the under side of a wall that divides the package intodifferent compartments. The method of removing a bottom part 4 isperformed by taking hold of the gripping devices 6A-B that are presenton the upper side of the package and drawing these upwards in thevertical sense. The different parts of the bottom part 4 will then bedisplaced laterally 7A-B on the under side of the package, whereby thefood will be placed on a serving surface 8 under the package 1. Thepackage is raised in steps 18 d and 18 e and is separated from the foodand the serving surface. The bottom parts 4A-B can either be left inplace at this point on a part of the container part 2 or can be removedfrom it.

FIG. 19 shows, as the subsidiary steps 19 a-19 c, an alternative methodaccording to the invention for the purpose of transferring food from apackage 905 to a serving surface 8. In this embodiment, the bottom part4 and the container part 2 of the package are rotatable in relation toone another. The bottom part 4 is rotatably attached to a device 16 thatis connected to the container part 2. By taking hold of a grippingdevice 6 arranged on the bottom part, this can be drawn sideways 7according to stage 19 b, whereby the bottom part can rotate about theattachment point of the device to the container part, and the food thatis present inside the package can, according to stage 19 c, betransferred to a serving surface 8. The device 16 is preferably arrangedperpendicularly in relation to the bottom part. The package can also besubdivided into compartments and can consist of a plurality of devices16 attached to different parts of the bottom part, so that only the foodthat is present in a particular compartment, for example, is transferredto the serving surface when the bottom part 4 rotates about the device16. This embodiment can be combined with advantage with a string-shapedor strip-shaped device 11, which facilitates the separation between thecontainer and the bottom as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 20 shows an alternative package 1005 according to the presentinvention. The subsidiary steps 20 a-20 h shows an example of how thepackage can be used for the transfer of food 1 to a serving surface 8.The bottom part is fitted underneath in the package, as shown in steps20 a-c. In order to facilitate fitting and removal of the bottom part,it is preferably arranged in grooves 17 that are arranged internally inthe sides of the container part 2, and are preferably situated as low aspossible. The grooves can consist of rectangular depressions, forexample. The bottom part should be manufactured from a rigid material sothat it can be pulled along the groove without any problem for the wholeof its length. Some form of sealing device should be present between thebottom part and the container part to ensure that the package is sealedtightly. Steps 20 d-f show how the food is arranged on the upper surfaceof the bottom part with a positioning of the food which conforms to thedesired final appearance that the meal must possess on the servingsurface before it is consumed. A lid 3 can be applied on the edges ofthe container part, whereby the package is ready to be transported to aserving surface for presentation or heated for subsequent transport.Steps 20 g-h show how the bottom part is removed and the food istransferred to the base before proceeding to remove the container partand the lid, if it is still present. In order to prevent overpressureand to facilitate the subsequent removal of the bottom part, the lidshould be removed if the food is intended to be transferred to theserving surface after heating. The parts of the package can possibly becleaned after use ready for subsequent reuse, or they can be sent forrecycling. The package in accordance with this embodiment isparticularly suitable for those occasions on which a meal needs to betransported before it is consumed and it is wished to retain theaesthetic appearance of the meal.

The above-mentioned grooves can also be arranged on the outside of thecontainer part. The bottom part in this case must, on two opposingsides, extend around the bottom edges of the container part in order toengage in the external grooves, which may either be in the form ofprotuberances or depressions on the edges. In the event that the packagewill be reused, this embodiment is easier to keep clean than theembodiment with the internal grooves. The grooves are longitudinal withadvantage, although they can also be in the form of supporting pointsarranged at a distance from one another.

FIG. 21, finally, shows a package according to an alternative embodimentin accordance with the present invention, in which the bottom part ofthe package is so arranged as to melt during heating. Step 21 a showshow the package 5 with a bottom part 4 made from a meltable materialhave been placed in an oven 9 together with a serving surface 8. In step21 b, the package has been heated, whereby the bottom part 4 has meltedand the food 1 is in direct contact with the serving surface. In step 21c, the container part 2 with the lid 3 is removed vertically, wherebythe food is ready to be consumed.

According to a further alternative embodiment, it is possible toenvisage that the entire package consists of an edible material whichmelts when heated.

The invention is naturally not restricted to the embodiments describedabove and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Modifications arepossible, in particular with regard to the nature of the various parts,or by the use of equivalent technology, but without departing from thearea of protection afforded to the invention, as defined in the PatentClaims.

1.-26. (canceled)
 27. A package for packing food in containers whichcomprise a lid and a bottom part, and situated between these at leastone space for receiving food that is intended to be frozen or chilledand subsequently heated, whereby at least one part of the package isutilized during heating, according to claim 1 wherein the bottom part isarranged as to receive food before the freezing or chilling of the same,and the package comprises means for fully or partially separating thebottom part from the container part of the package before and/or afterheating, whereby the food comes into contact with the serving surface,and the container part is essentially retained in its position enclosingthe food
 28. A method for transferring food from a package, comprising abottom part and a container part, to a serving surface, comprising:placing the package on top of the storage or serving surface, and fullyor partially removing all or a part of the said bottom part from thesaid container part, whereby the food comes into contact with theserving surface, in conjunction with which the container part isessentially retained in its position enclosing the food.
 29. A methodaccording to claim 28, wherein the removal stage also includes: takinghold of one or more gripping devices attached to the bottom part, andessentially laterally, fully or partially, pulling away all or part ofthe bottom part from the container part.
 30. A method according to claim28, comprising: removing the container part of the package and, whereappropriate, the lid of the package in the vertical sense,simultaneously or in different steps.
 31. A method according to claim28, before removal of the bottom part, comprising: removing astrip-shaped or a string-shaped device surrounding at least a part ofthe container part of the package at the interface with the bottom partfor the purpose of facilitating the pulling away of the bottom part. 32.A method according to claim 28, before the removal of the said bottompart, comprising: heating the package containing the said food in anoven or a microwave oven.
 33. A method according to claim 28, afterremoval of the bottom part, comprising: heating the food, with orwithout the container part and the lid, in an oven or a microwave oven.34. A method according to claim 28, comprising: placing a number ofsubsidiary packages on top of the serving surface and adjacent to oneanother, whereby these form a package with at least one of anessentially circular, oval, superelliptical, and polygonal periphery.35. A method according to claim 28, wherein the package also includesseparate subsidiary packages arranged in different planes for thepurpose of receiving food, after heating, comprising: fully or partiallyremoving a bottom part from a subsidiary package situated in conjunctionwith a subjacent subsidiary package, whereby the food in the subsidiarypackage is caused to move vertically downwards over or next to the foodthrough an opening in the lid of the subjacent subsidiary package.
 36. Amethod according to claim 28, wherein the package also includes separatesubsidiary packages comprising: if the lid of a subsidiary packageincludes a removable part; fully or partially removing the part of thesubsidiary package, placing a further subsidiary package on top of theaforementioned subsidiary package, taking hold of a gripping deviceattached to the bottom part of the further subsidiary package, andpulling away the bottom part essentially sideways, whereby the food inthis further subsidiary package is caused to move vertically downwardsover or next to the food in the lower subsidiary package.
 37. A methodaccording to claim 35, further comprising: before heating, removing onesubsidiary package from a subjacent subsidiary package, after heating ofone or more of the aforementioned subsidiary package, attaching thesubsidiary package removed in the previous step on top of the subjacentsubsidiary package, taking hold of a gripping device attached to thebottom part of the superjacent subsidiary package, and pulling away allor a part of the said bottom part essentially sideways, whereby the foodin this superjacent subsidiary package is caused to move verticallydownwards over or next to the food in the subjacent subsidiary package.38. A method according claim 28, wherein the removal step includes:fully or partially melting all or a part of the bottom part by heating.39. A method for packing food in a container which comprise a lid and abase, and which is so arranged as to be capable of holding the foodduring the period for which the food is in a frozen or chilled state andof using at least part of the package during the period for which thecontent is heated, wherein the part of the 30 package on which the foodin question is intended to rest during at least the freezing process forthe food in question, but preferably also during storage in the frozenor chilled condition is drawn away sideways, wherein the removablesurface exposes the foodstuff in question in the removed position,viewed from the bottom of the food, and wherein the remaining part ofthe package is preferably utilized to enclose the food during the periodfor which the food is heated, on a serving surface.